Sunshine Cleaning opens today in NY and LA. Those people reading this post who live in NY or LA have a homework assignment this weekend - GO SEE SUNSHINE CLEANING.
Here are the reasons (and me being paid is not one of them):
1- After 10 weeks of pretty crappy (and I'm being generous) films for women this is the first film of 2009 that is actually really good.
2- It needs to make money so that it will expand next weekend. This is a small film being released by a smallish company, Overture that actually has a history (in its relatively short life) of distributing films for women. We want them to keep thinking women are a good business model. Next weekend has a lot of competition with Nicholas Cage in another pointless action film (Knowing); Julia Roberts' Duplicity; and the bromance I Love You Man. Sunshine Cleaning needs to do good numbers this weekend so the folks at Overture can fight for screens in other markets.
3- It's written by a woman - Megan Holley and directed by a woman Christine Jeffs. Megan (pronounced MEEgan) was kind enough to talk with me a couple of weeks ago and I totally screwed up and somehow deleted the interview. So instead of introducing you to a bright, new and original voice, you're just going to have to take my word for it. From what I remember Megan wrote the script in the mornings before work and entered it in a script contest and one of the film's producers was affiliated with the contest and loved the script. She got the idea for the film from an NPR story. When she found out the film was going to be made she was working in a science lab studying rats where she was known to save many of them from certain death. To me, she's this year's Diablo Cody minus the whole dancing on the pole story. She's not gone Hollywood and she's still writing.
Christine Jeffs directed the acclaimed Rain (which is on my netflix list) and the biopic of Sylvia Plath which starred Gwyneth Paltrow. She's another great women's voice from New Zealand (what is in the water over there?)
4- Emily Blunt and Amy Adams as sisters. I can't believe this is my fourth point because it is the real reason to see this film. Adams in a short time has become one of the most sought after younger women stars. I love the fact that from my vantage point she's stable, normal, sounds intelligent and works her ass off without winding up in the tabloids each week. She can kick ass in a musical like Enchanted and also really touch you as Sister James in Doubt and break your heart as well as make you laugh as Rose in this flick.
What can I say about Emily Blunt? She won my heart in The Devil Wears Prada and I will see her in anything. I love the fact that she talked about how she her eating was seriously watched during Prada production. She had the food police on her. I love that both this women with big careers made this really moving small film and I want people to support women continuing to make these choices.
Also, I think that guys will like the film cause it's funny, got crime scene gross out stuff, and Alan Arkin is always enjoyable. Is that enough to convince you to make some time this weekend to see the film? Let me know what you think and if you've fulfilled your homework assignment.